Despite last summer's soaring avgas prices, airplane manufacturer layoffs, and looming increases in government regulation, 2008 was a landmark year for General Aviation.

Especially prominent were Cirrus Design, with the success of its Vision SJ50, and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, as it paid tribute to retiring president Phil Boyer and welcomed Craig Fuller to the helm.

January

• It was NOT a Happy New Year when a high-wing Glastar and a Piper Cherokee mixed it up on final at Sonoma Valley Airport, in Napa, CA, but all that really matters is that everyone survived to tell the tale...

• A city official in Vero Beach, FL announced Piper Aircraft Inc. will remain in the city, instead of locating its headquarters and upcoming PiperJet manufacturing center to less-hurricane-prone locations...
• Florida Senator Bill Nelson told over 400 pilots attending an AOPA Pilot Town Meeting in Fort Lauderdale: "User fees are dead..."
• Adam Aircraft cut approximately 300 workers from its staff of 800, due to what the company says is a need to conserve existing funds, obtain capital, and overcome issues with the certification of its A700 very light jet...
• Another chapter was added to the sad tale of a 2004 plane crash at a charity balloon rally in Wisconsin, as the husband of the woman lost in the crash agreed to support a plea deal, reducing the amount of time the pilot may spend in prison...
• Cessna announced delivery of 1,274 aircraft in 2007, including first deliveries of four models: the newly acquired Cessna 350 and 400 single-engine pistons, the all-new Citation Mustang entry level jet, and the upgraded Citation Encore+ business jet...
• Alaska Governor Sarah Palin unveiled details of a new aviation safety initiative, a critical component of the Federal Aviation Administration's plan to invest over $400 million dollars in the installation, operation and maintenance of the ground stations as part of its "Capstone" aviation safety program...
• Quest Aircraft Company delivered its first customer Kodiak turboprop to launch depositor Spirit Air, marking the company's latest step in its transition from an aircraft developer, to a full-fledged planemaker...

• Miscreants struck a tiny airfield near Blythe, GA as shotgun pellets struck three planes on the field, and a swastika, Confederate battle flag, a "peace" sign, and "KKK" were spray-painted on the clubhouse used by the local chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association...
• White House staffers chose an appropriate location as President Bush hawked the benefits of foreign trade at Robinson Helicopters Torrance, CA headquarters, which sells 70 percent of its production overseas…

February

• AOPA President Phil Boyer found himself in the AOPA television studio, defending general aviation security following a Phoenix TV reporter's "expose" on security at five area GA airports...
• Silver State Helicopters, a nationwide flight school operation known for fanciful claims about employment opportunities in the helicopter industry and a significant accident record, ordered its doors shut...
• "What part of 'NO!' doesn't the White House understand?" said AOPA President Phil Boyer, after reviewing the White House plan for FAA refinancing. "They just changed the dates and submitted essentially the same proposal as last year..."
• Wisconsin pilot Mark Strub was sentenced to six months in jail, with five of those months to be spent outside of prison, for the August 2004 crash that claimed the life of a passenger…
• Reminiscent of Mayor Richard Daley's closure of Chicago's Meigs Field in March 2003, Berlin city leaders moved forward with plans to close the city's historic Templehof downtown airport...
• As the Senate continued to drag its feet in passing its version of a long-term FAA reauthorization bill, the US House of Representatives passed yet another extension on aviation taxes and the FAA's budget, keeping the agency in business until June 30...
• After weeks and months of heart-felt searching that employed the best efforts of thousands of people, both on-site and online, a Cook County Circuit Court declared missing pilot, Steve Fossett, dead…
• In the continuing investigation into the disappearance of Amelia Earhart, Delaware-based TIGHAR asked for help in dating the manufacture of a small brass zipper pull discovered on Nikumaroro, a coral atoll in the western Pacific Ocean…
• The FAA marked a major milestone in the move toward a satellite-based air traffic control system with the implementation of the 1,000th instrument approach that uses the enhanced GPS Wide Area Augmentation System...

• According to NATCA, air traffic controllers at Oakland ARTCC were prevented from monitoring distress calls from a small plane in trouble when their FAA supervisor turned down the volume of the facility's emergency frequency loudspeaker to an inaudible level...

March

• The FAA released its final rule on plastic pilot certificates, announcing the required switch by March 31, 2010…
• Cirrus Design announced the appointment of Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Brent Wouters as President and Chief Operating Officer…
• Two times in seven days, news of small aircraft entering restricted airspace over Washington, DC made headlines. F-16s intercepted a Cessna and a twin-engine Beechcraft after apparently violating restricted airspace around the nation's capital...
• Diamond Aircraft announced a newer, more powerful engine for its D-Jet -- the Williams FJ33-4A-19 -- and will deliver all D-Jets equipped with the uprated powerplant...
• A Florida Tax ripoff results in growing pilot avoidance and boycott of the state as owners of new aircraft have been targeted for "use tax" by the state's Department of Revenue…
• The future of one of the busiest flight schools in the US was in doubt after its third fatal crash in less than five months…
• As the 19th Annual Women in Aviation, International Conference drew to a close, all the statistics pointed to the organization's biggest Conference ever...
• Garmin introduced its value-packed portable GPSMAP 495...

April

• Two high-profile incursions into the DC FRZ during a recent one-week period prompted a renewed pilot education campaign by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association…
• Garmin received FAA supplemental type certification for Garmin Synthetic Vision Technology, designed to fully integrate with the G1000…

• AOPA said the Federal Aviation Administration is jumping too far, too soon with its plan to reduce airline delays with congestion pricing…
• The early days of commercial air travel were re-created as Experimental Aircraft Association brought its restored 1929 Ford Tri-Motor airliner to eight cities in five Midwest states in spring and early summer…
• AOPA President Phil Boyer turned to members to ask them how they would address the critical issue of dwindling pilot numbers…
• Thielert Aircraft Engines AG dismissed company founder and former CEO Frank Thielert over discrepancies with the company's annual financial statements for the years 2003 through 2005…
• Senate Finance and Commerce Committees reached agreement on a common bill to fund the Federal Aviation Administration for the next four years, putting an end to seven months of bureaucratic stalling on the measure...
• The fate of historic Tempelhof Airport was decided by citizens of Berlin taking part in a public referendum focusing on the closure of the airport, well known for its role during the Berlin Airlift...

• Newly-passed legislation provided a use-tax exemption, allowing aircraft to be in Florida for a total of 21 days, plus up to 20 days for maintenance. It would also exempt new aircraft owners who come to Florida for flight training during this timeframe…

May

• Authorities in central Texas questioned British pilot Maurice Kirk, after the infamous "Flying Vet" landed his single-engine plane six miles from President Bush's ranch in Crawford…

• Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons said he intended to bill Steve Fossett's widow for the $687,000 the state spent searching for the missing adventurer last year...
• AOPA and the National Business Aviation Association joined with Senators Max Baucus and Charles Grassley to appeal for the swift passage of S.1300…
• Surging brush fires near Florida's Space Coast threatened property and aircraft at Valkaria Airport…
• No injuries were reported when a Stinson 108-3 taxied into position at the end of a runway and a Piper Warrior II approaching to land settled on top of the Stinson…
• After bullet holes were found in the fuselages of two aircraft based at the busy Tamiami Executive Airport, the FAA advised pilots to make steep approaches into the airport and to make haste when climbing out on takeoff to avoid being hit by gunfire…
• One of four skydivers who survived an April plane crash in Missouri sued the skydiving company and its pilot for negligence...
• The Experimental Aircraft Association asked Oshkosh city officials for close to $2 million in tax incremental funding to add capacity and amenities for those attending EAA AirVenture…
• The FAA suspended operations by Florida air ambulance service Air Trek, saying the company failed to adhere to numerous safety practices…

June

• Lycoming Engines announced an unleaded automotive gasoline approval program for its standard compression ratio O-360 and IO-360 product lines…
• North Dakota congressional candidate Duane Sand suffered minor injuries when he made a forced landing in a cornfield in a Cessna 172…
• The NTSB issued recommendations for Robinson helicopters calling for main rotor inspections to address delaminating issues…
• Amid uncertainty surrounding the insolvency of German aircraft engine manufacturer Thielert AG, the Thielert Engine Owners Group was formed to protect the investment of nearly 1,000 affected aircraft owners…
• Two private ventures to find adventurer Steve Fossett plan to renew the search in rugged mountains now clear of snow...
• Marc Lehman flew around the world in 40 days in his Diamond DA-40XL…
• Aero-TV took in the 2008 AOPA Fly-In as 100 aviation exhibitors and over 40 display aircraft were available for viewing…
• Cirrus announced highly-anticipated "The-Jet" was ready for taxi tests...

• AOPA announced president Phil Boyer's retirement at the end of 2008 and the selection of Craig L. Fuller as its next president…

July

• Cirrus Design's "The-Jet" prototype completed its first successful test flight...

• Oregon native Kent Couch piloted his lawn chair over 235 miles in a nine hour journey from Bend, OR to Cambridge, ID held aloft by 150 latex party balloons…
• As fuel prices continued to climb nationwide, the pinch on the general aviation consumer became tighter…
• Ron Schreck celebrated the 4th by flying his RV to all 68 public-use airports in South Carolina…
• Police were looking for suspects tied to a rash of vandalism at Monmouth Executive Airport near Farmingdale, NJ that caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage to 11 aircraft…
• The new control tower at Wittman Regional Airport was up and operational for AirVenture 2008…

• The PiperJet made its first flight from Piper Headquarters in Vero Beach, FL…
• Cirrus's much-anticipated Vision SJ50, formerly known as "The Jet," made its public debut at AirVenture 2008…

August

• Aero-TV covers WomenVenture, easily the largest gathering of women pilots in history…

• Overall AirVenture attendance estimated at 540,000, a slight drop from last year but on par with 2006…
• Wacky duo weds while wing walking as the pastor stands atop a third plane to administer vows…
• Mooney employees Bill Wheat and Stanley Feller may be the longest-serving employees in the industry as they pass 50-year milestones…
• The TSA plans a massive expansion of aviation security that for the first time will regulate thousands of private planes now flying with no security rules…
• The pilot of a stolen Cessna 172 who took off from Roanoke Regional Airport circled a mall for hours, talking of suicide, but later landed back at the airport without incident…
• A 65-year-old pilot and his 63-year-old wife spent close to three hours upside-down 80 feet in the air in their aircraft after the plane's right main gear snagged a power line as they approached to land at a nearby field…
• For the second time in six days, an aircraft flying out of North Las Vegas Airport in Nevada crashed into a nearby residential neighborhood…
• AOPA says the Federal Aviation Administration needs to show even greater support for general aviation in a key short-term strategic planning document known as the FAA Flight Plan…

September

• A vintage Lockheed P2V Neptune firebomber heading to fight a wildfire near South Lake Tahoe, CA crashed shortly after takeoff from Reno Stead Airport, killing the three-person flight crew…

• Cirrus Design announced it will lay off 102 workers as it works to scale back overhead in the face of declining sales…
• The FAA announced that pilots flying in aircraft equipped with Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) avionics in South Florida would be able receive free traffic and weather information on their cockpit displays, marking the first time area pilots are able see the same traffic information that's seen by air traffic controllers…
• A man who tried to impress his girlfriend by taking her for a joyride in a stolen King Air was sentenced to four years in prison…
• AOPA reflected on how GA security has changed since 9/11: "General aviation is more secure, in large part, because the pilot community has a vested interest in protecting their aircraft and airports," said AOPA President Phil Boyer…
• AOPA's Bruce Landsberg responded to the media frenzy over recent VGT accidents, saying, "Fatal general aviation accidents are very low, and it is rare that anyone on the ground is injured or killed when an aircraft crashes."
• Diamond Aircraft delivered its 1,000th DA20 to Maylan Flight Academy, of London, Ontario, marking a significant step in the airplane's history…

• Responding to the latest FAA funding extension, NBAA's Bolen reiterated the need for a multi-year reauthorization bill, while AOPA's Boyer noted a short-term 'victory' over user fees…
• The Mooney Aerospace Group, Ltd. named Robert B. Gowens Chief Executive Officer of Mooney Airplane Company in Kerrville, TX...

October

• Investigators were combing through the wreckage of Steve Fossett's Bellanca Decathlon on the side of a mountain near Mammoth Lakes, CA...
• Nearly 100 disabled and seriously ill children from the Kansas City area experienced the wonders of aviation at Challenge Air Fly Day...
• The Transportation Security Administration unveiled its proposed rule governing operations for all aircraft weighing more than 12,500 pounds, requiring those operators to implement an approved security program...
• AOPA presented Kansas Senator Pat Roberts with its highest honor, the Joseph B. "Doc" Hartranft Award "for his tireless advocacy of the general aviation community, particularly his efforts to block a user fee proposal."
• Rather than openly endorsing a candidate for President of the United States in the upcoming election, AOPA chose to simply pose identical questions to both hopefuls... and let the readers decide for themselves...
• Unsettling developments at the Board level of the National Association of Flight Instructors led to the creation of the Take Back Our National Association of Flight Instructors Committee -- TBO NAFI...
• Six people were reported safe after a Cessna 180 and Cessna 210 collided head-on south of Grand Junction, CO...

• Garmin announced its new GPSMAP 696, a tablet-style device that incorporates the popular features of the GPSMAP 496 while adding new capabilities such as airways, electronic charts and expanded weather on a screen that is three times larger...

November

• The Royal Air Force saved the day by guiding a pilot in distress to a safe landing, but the rescue was quite out of the ordinary because the pilot of the single-engine Cessna was blind...
• Chairman of AOPA's Board of Trustees Bill Trimble led off the third and final General Session of the 2008 AOPA Expo, praising outgoing AOPA President Phil Boyer's vision and accomplishments during his 18 years of service....
• Cessna Aircraft Company announced that approximately 665 workers would be handed their walking papers at the planemaker's facilities in Wichita, KS and Bend, OR...
• A helicopter pilot who pled guilty to reckless flying charges was been sentenced to serve two months in prison, and will lose flying privileges for five years...
• The US Customs and Border Protection agency enacted new rules changing the procedure for private aircraft to provide advance notice of their intended arrival or departure, and submit manifests of the persons on board...
• Airport Property Ventures was awarded a 50-year "development lease" for improvements at the Oceanside, CA airport,"a tremendously important step for the preservation of this embattled airport."
• ExxonMobil Aviation announced it does not support or endorse the supply of jet fuel to aircraft powered by diesel engines... Diamond Aircraft responded, saying, "We are unaware...of any jet fuel related service difficulties in any TAE powered Diamond airplane."

• NASCAR filed a lawsuit against Cessna, charging that a Cessna 310 it owned crashed due to the manufacturer's negligence, and that the manufacturer's instructions, warnings, inspections and repairs for the aircraft were inadequate...

December

• CarolAnn Garrett and Carol Foy announced plans to circumnavigate the world in seven days in a Mooney M20J, attempting to shatter a world record to raise money and awareness for ALS...

• The crew at DeltaHawk Engines joined Diamond Aircraft in responding contrarily to ExxonMobil Aviation's position that jet fuel should not be used in diesel powerplants...
• All four occupants of two light aircraft were killed in an apparent mid-air collision about 20 miles west of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport...
• Piper Aircraft, which received $32 million in local and state incentives earlier this year to stay and expand in Vero Beach, FL, has reportedly started terminating employees...
• After years of lobbying the Festus, MO City Council not to sell the county's only airport, Citizens for Airport Economic Expansion members placed the winning bid on the property and bought it themselves...
• In an effort to get some insight into the conflict between NAFI and TBO-NAFI, ANN presented an interview with TBO-NAFI's Rich Stowell...
• Cirrus Design announced current President and COO Brent Wouters will take over as CEO of the Duluth, MN-based planemaker early next year...

• The Experimental Aircraft Association touts a recent University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh study, showing the annual EAA AirVenture show brings an estimated $110 million economic impact to Oshkosh-area counties each year...
• In 2009, AOPA will raffle off a fully-loaded 2005 Cirrus SR22-G2. The "Let's Go Flying" SR22 was donated by Lloyd Huck, philanthropist, longtime AOPA member and Air Safety Foundation donor, who served as an Army Air Corps B-29 bomber pilot during World War II...

FMI: www.aero-news.net